WXYZ on leaking Detroit water

On the theme of Return, here is a video from WXYZ about how an estimated 31% of Detroit's water is wasted because of leaks before it ever gets to the customer.

Sep 6, 2011: Scott Lewis updates his series of stories about a huge water loss in the city of Detroit.

This fits the Return theme in many ways. First, it helps illustrate my point about the results of neglecting infrastructure. Second, it continues my coverage of conflict over the Detroit water and sewer system, which I started covering the very first month of this blog. Third, one of the people I profiled in one of my political posts, Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner John McColluch, has a featured role in the report.* Finally, it's the latest in a series WXYZ is running about the issue of leaking water driving up people's bills. I have the rest of the clips in the series that were posted to WXYZ-TV's YouTube Channel at the end of last month.

Aug 25, 2011: Detroit is answering questions in the wake of Scott Lewis's investigation that found water shooting into the basements of Detroit homes.

At least the officials are responding to the investigation, even if they seem less than fully candid about the situation.





Aug 23, 2011: Water down the drainRemember, the low end of water loss estimated was 17%. The high was the 31% from McCulloch. Either way, that's a lot of water wasted.

Also, the explanatory text to a nearly identical report from later in the day had more detail.

Aug 23, 2011: Detroiters are complaining about the city's response to their calls about water flowing into vacant buildings in the city.

I moved to Michigan from southern California 22 years ago. If something like this happened there, people would be up in arms. During water shortages, water is rationed and waste in the system would not be tolerated.

All of the above adds to calls from the politicians representing the customers in the suburbs demanding control of the water system, but that's a subject for another post.

*McCulloch is no longer running for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate. Instead, Pete Hoekstra is the approved candidate of the state GOP establishment. That is also a subject of another post. I have a lot to return to.